


Outmatched, Outclassed

by Twilight_Shadow_Songs



Category: Gotham (TV), The Question (Comics)
Genre: M/M, Question is being corrupted, Victor Zsasz keeps getting caught by stupid people for stupid reasons, mentions of kinks
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-17
Updated: 2018-10-19
Packaged: 2019-08-03 14:36:26
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 8,198
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16327871
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Twilight_Shadow_Songs/pseuds/Twilight_Shadow_Songs
Summary: Victor Zsasz gets attacked by a mysterious woman, and an equally mysterious man with no face shows up. Hey, since when was he the damsel in distress?





	1. I wish to leave a Question

Zsasz was used to fighting for his life, when he wasn’t killing. He wasn’t used to fighting someone so much _better_ than he was, though. She came at him like some kind of fury from the old greek stories. He didn’t really care at this point though, she was coming and for once he was outmatched and outclassed. For the first time in his life, he was growing uneasy in a fight. 

Suddenly a hand grabbed Victor and threw him backwards and down. Victor actually _flew_ through the air and landed heavily on his back. As though he weighed nothing at all.When he got his wind back he sat up and stared at...well it was a sturdy man in purple trenchcoat and fedora, fighting the woman that had been attacking Victor. And, the trenchcoat man was actually holding his own. Their fists and bodies were moving almost faster than Victor could comprehend, but what he did manage to catch he internalized to try and copy at a later date. 

The woman managed to get a good punch in and it slammed into the man’s face. He stumbled but managed to block the attack to his neck at the last second before catching the hand and pulling her in, then kicking her in the stomach and releasing her, sending her toppling. Before Victor had a chance to blink, the guy was at his side.

“You really should have been running while she was distracted”

“Two people fighting over me? C’mon man, that’s just _hot_ ” Victor quipped with a flirtatious grin as he looked up at-

No face. The man had _no face_. Despite himself, Victor leaned away from him and the man sighed and grabbed him by the arm, hoisting him up and pulling him down a side street.

“I’m the Question, she is Lady Shiva, most skilled killer in the world” the faceless man said as he pulled Victor down seemingly random streets. “I trained under and beside her, after well…” he gave a funny little laugh. “She tried to kill me once, and then helped me become a better fighter”

“So maybe she’d do the same for me?”

“Oh, no. She learned her lesson. I’m the annoyance she can’t actually manage to kill anymore” Victor rolled his eyes. There was no inflection of pride, it was just a stated fact. 

“So what am I?”

“Her latest kill”

Victor snickered. “Okay, she’s great, you’re great, but-”

“She travels from city to city trying and often succeeding in killing the most skilled hit-men, assassins, and warriors. Do you really think you would have stood a chance?”

Victor just rolled his eyes. “You know how many people I’ve killed?”

“137, several for the Penguin, never children under sixteen, never people that the hit’s been dropped on, and you always make triple sure before every hit you’re not making a mistake” said ‘Question’ absently and Victor was actually surprised. Impressed, but surprised.

“Okay, you know about me. Why are you saving someone as fucked in the head as me?”

A soft chuckle. “Well, Let’s just say I have a vested interest in not letting Shiva kill you”

That helped a whole bunch. Not. 

“We’re going to Penguin” Victor decided, having had enough of just running, He needed somewhere to run to. There couldn’t be endless running like a rat in a maze. 

“We?”

The hand let go of him and Victor realized this guy wasn’t going to be close by all the time. He snarled and grabbed the faceless man’s arm. Shit he had some good muscles.

“Yes. We. I’m not taking a chance with the bitch if what you say is true and she’s as skilled as you’re making her out to be. I need you to be by my side so we can fight-together” and with the back-up of Penguin’s people. The faceless man turned his head and the blank expance of flesh that made up his face seemed to regard him. 

“...I’m not a guardian angel, but alright” he relented.

~*~

“ _Jesus Christ_ Victor! You betray me, try to kill me, and then come back with-with-”

“I’m not an experiment by Hugo Strange” Question supplied helpfully. “It’s actually...well...I suppose it’s technically a mask made of synthetic flesh” Penguin looked like he was going to throw up with that information and Victor looked at his new friend with childlike glee. He was wearing flesh-be it synthetic or not it was flesh-over his actual face. That was so fucked up. He was starting to like this guy.

“Yea, so, Penguin, this chick is out to kill me, and Question here is on her skill-level. I want to ask permission to wait the night out and then try and figure out how to dispose of the issue tomorrow” Penguin looked like he wanted very much to say quite a few things, but eventually rubbed a hand over his face and waved at them to just leave, presumably to the places set up as bedrooms in the city hall. 

Victor walked with a bounce in his step and grinned at his companion, who had his hands in his pockets and appeared to be lost in thought. “You gonna watch me while I sleep, or do you need me to help you, y’know, watch for-”

“Call her a bitch again and I’ll break your hand” Came the curt reply and Victor opened his mouth in a small act of pure delight. His friend had bite to him.

“So, why save a killer like me? I mean, I _like_ killing”

“So do I. Besides, you have morals. Sort of. Unlike most of her past opponents…”

“You like killing?”

“.....It’s a need, yes. But like alcohol, I choose not to indulge”

Victor immediately decided he wanted to test how far that resolve would go, and that meant keeping Question close, at all times, and coaxing him to murder. Break him down, teach him to not be afraid of his instincts. Once this Shiva business was done, Victor didn’t intend to let Question climb back into whatever hole he’d crawled out of. 

They found a room with a mattress and good views on the front of the premises. Question immediately went to sit by the window, waving Victor away from him. Victor pouted and obstinately sat beside his rescuer. There was a soft sigh from the faceless man but he didn’t object and Victor grinned and settled his head on his hands and just stared at Question.

Finally, the other man broke. “You’re like a puppy. A big, murderous puppy” Victor grinned.

“Well, puppies need to be taught lessons” Question for his part didn’t react in surprise. He just inclined his head.

“Refrain from flirting till the danger of you being brutally beaten to death is passed, yes?”

Victor laughed. “But this is the best time to flirt!”

A soft sigh. 

“Go to bed...Zsasz” Victor tilts his head, childlike, at the tone of distaste fed into his last name. Question hasn’t treated him with anything but disinterested respect. So why the dislike of his last name of all things?

“If I go to bed You’ll be the only one fighting”

“I’m sure she took your guns, your knives, and everything else you usually use. Face it, hand to hand, unless the person is restrained, isn’t your forte”

“So teach me”

“I would, if we had months, years even. But we’ve got maybe a few hours before she finds us and uses Penguin as a hostage” Victor gave him a smirking look. 

“Penguin, as hostage. She’d have a better time taking a stuck pig hostage with how much he throws temper tantrums when things don’t go his way”

“Not very nice to your former boss, are you?”

Victor waved a hand. “He no longer writes my paycheck. I owe him nothing”

A faint snort. 

Victor sighed. “Look, the lone knight thing is cute an all, but I can still be of some help. I mean, it’s technically my fight. If you distract her, I can hit her from behind, and then I win. She won’t fight anymore if I win, right?”

Another sigh. 

“If it were that simple I’d have offered that. But honor-bound as she is, she’d consider it cheating and would come back for you in the event of me being...indisposed. I have a city to protect. I can’t keep running to Gotham every time you get in trouble” so, Question wasn’t a gothamite. Good to note. Victor gave him a cheeky grin.

“I’m gonna think of something then. Gotta beat her so I can get on with my night, and get to getting answers to Questions” a faint laugh.

“You’re welcome to try”

Was that a challenge? God have mercy, it was a _challenge_. This guy wasn’t going to know what hit him.

 

~*~

If it didn’t seem to offend the guy so much, Victor would have just killed the lady friend but he appreciated strong women. Hell, his entire group was made up of strong independent women who liked shooting people. If this Lady Shiva wasn’t such a queen bee and intent on killing him, Victor might have offered her a place in his group. But she was intent on killing him and that just wasn’t fun. Nor was the thought of depending on a faceless individual who could fight toe-to-toe with her and not get bruised to all hell. Victor is pretty sure he would have gotten a broken arm or worse if Question hadn’t jumped in when he did. Not that he’s grateful, but the concern is almost touching.

It still doesn’t adequately answer why the guy is protecting him, of all people. Sure, he has a moral code, fucked up as it is, but shit. He’s a killer. Though...The guy said he liked killing too...Victor wants to know how many, and when did this dude stop? It’s all building to intense interest for him.

Just then Penguin opened their door and stuck his panicked face in. “A woman with long black hair and a trenchcoat has just walked through the doors with my men dangling from her hands. I take it this is the woman trying to kill Zsasz?” Question sighed and stood up.

“I’m going to talk to her”

“What makes you think she’s gonna listen?”

Question looked at Zsasz and inclined his head, his voice humorous. 

“Because if you don’t go running into battle like a puppy after a new toy, I can most likely get her to see sense. She’s a friend, sometimes. At the very least we have an understanding. I can hopefully get you out of this unscathed”

Victor pouted. No killing? Or stabbing? Or maiming? _Boring_.

“Uh, hello? There’s a crazy woman trying to kill you!”

The faceless man and Victor looked at Penguin, equally bored.

“Oswald” said Question with a sigh. “Do you mind coming in here and making sure Victor doesn’t try to ‘help’ me?” Victor sighed and grabbed Question, getting the surprise advantage and throwing him to the ground. He knelt on Question’s chest and looked into where he thought the eyes would be under the flat expanse.

“Listen, I don’t _need_ a guardian angel. I’m gettin tired pretty quick of you treatin me like a fragile glass ornament. She came because I’m the _best_ in Gotham. So let me do my job”

Question let Victor kneel on his chest, his breathing somewhat hindered but otherwise he didn’t react. “Alright, do what you wish. Oswald, give him your gun. If it makes you two feel better he can point the damned thing at her while I talk”

Victor narrowed his eyes. “Don’t treat me like a child”  
Breathless laughter. “I can hear her coming. Get up”

Penguin helps Victor off Question and hands him his gun. It’s too small for Victor’s liking, but he’s not complaining. A weapon in hand is better than nothing. He turned to Question, who was up and dusting himself off. 

A few moments later Lady Shiva showed up and Penguin squeaked and hobbled towards the other side of the room, Victor following his old boss with the borrowed gun pointed at Shiva’s head. He’d play Question’s game, for now, but if the woman did anything he was shooting her.

“Hello Shiva”

“Question”

Despite having just fought a few hours previously with intent to kill or incapacitate, the two spoke to each other with familiarity and warmth and gentleness. 

“My dear friend, you are protecting a killer”

“Yes, one with some morals, interestingly enough. And dear lady, you are one of the deadliest people in the world. Faulting Victor for killing?” he tuttted and shook his head. “You might as well let someone kill you, if you are going to be executioner because he’s a _killer_ ” 

The woman walked to him and put a hand on his cheek, staring into the general area of where eyes should be. “Why are you protecting my quarry? You know better than anyone how dangerous I can be” Victor shifted, staring intently at the woman touching Question. He didn’t like her familiarity. He was growing fond of the overprotective nitwit with no face. Sharing wasn’t in the cards. 

Question bowed his head. “You know my past, I told you everything. Why do _you_ think I’m protecting him? Think about it”

“Zsasz, Szasz” Penguin and Victor glanced at each other in confusion. Why did she say Victor’s last name twice?

Shiva began backing away and glanced darkly at Victor. 

“You’re safe to kill another day. But when Question is finished with you, I will return, and we shall see just how ‘legendary’ your skills really are”

With that she walked out of the room and Question turned to Victor and Penguin. “Well, that went far better than expected. I was afraid she’d knock me out and then go after you”

“Why did she say my name twice?”

“...Oh...that...well, she didn’t, exactly. It was two names with the same pronunciation” Victor looked at him in confusion.

“Z-S-A-S-Z, _S_ -Z-A-S-Z” Question clarified. “Zsasz and Szasz” It didn’t really help Victor’s confusion, but he didn’t press it. He’d wrangle it out of Question later.

Penguin snatched his gun back from Victor’s distracted grasp and pointed between him and Question. “Well, now that that’s done with, get out of my hideout!” he shouted and Victor smirked at him before raising his hands and sauntering towards Question.

“You wanna get a milkshake and burger?”

“We’re not friends, Victor”

“Well, I gotta thank the knight in a trenchcoat and fedora” he said cheekily and Question sighed as he started walking with the hitman. “It was kinda fun, getting fought over by a hot woman and a...toned guy”

“Mm, that’s right, you don’t know if I’m handsome” Question seemed to find this highly amusing. “How’s this? If you can figure out what I actually look like, I’ll let you thank me however you want” he sounded like he didn’t think Victor would figure it out. Challenge fucking accepted asshole.

Victor’s dark eyes took in the surreal colors of his outfit and his faceless face before smirking.

“You are gonna regret you said that”

“Hm, am I?”

They were outside before Victor had a chance to process.

“Goodbye, Victor”

 

Victor rolled his eyes at the guy walking away, getting swallowed up in the dark. He turned and headed in the opposite direction, taking his phone out and dialing his Girls.

“Hey, we’ve got a challenge-not a hit, but he still needs to be tailed…”


	2. Let's Get Physical

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Victor Zsasz decides to thank the man who saved him, and the man he's been stalking. So, he knocks the sucker out and drags him home.

Vic woke up slowly, his head throbbing. He cast his mind back to what he remembered. He’d been giving a report as the new reporter from Hub City, okay, he remembered that. When his segment was done he’d gone outside to smoke. Okay, that was all good. He frowned slightly. There had been scuffling. He’d tensed and tossed the cigarette in order to fight and then- _pain_ and he knew nothing. 

He became more aware of his surroundings. He was on a bed, and his hands were tied above his head. He shook his arms experimentally and found he couldn’t dislodge them from whatever was holding his wrists captive. He slowly glanced down at himself. His coat, shirt and undershirt were gone along with his tie. His lower half was completely clothed though, he even still had his shoes on. His red hair curled around his neck and he glanced up as a soft whistling came from across the room. It wasn’t a catcall it was just a tune he couldn’t quite place. 

Well, he couldn’t say he was completely _surprised_ to see Victor Zsasz watching him from a comfortable looking leather seat across the room, fingers steepled and that childish grin of getting away with something they’d been told _not to do_ was present on his face. He knew it was going to happen eventually, truth be told.

“Will I be another tally on you, then?”

Victor smirked and shook his head as he lowered his hands. 

“Y’know, people keep wonderin how Vic Sage gets all his information, and consistently gets those wild theories so close to the truth” Vic waited for him to continue as Victor got up and clasped his hands behind his back. “But you go get it yourself, don’t you? Wearing all sorts of disguises and..” his smile became predatory. “That _mask_ ” Vic didn’t show any emotion on his face. He actually didn’t particularly feel anything about the revelation Victor had thrown at his feet. He’d gotten the hitman’s interest, and had come to terms with the fact that Victor wasn’t stupid and would eventually figure it out. He smiled as Victor’s only reward and shrugged.

“You’d be surprised how simply letting people come to their own conclusions about you supposedly losing your face helps with the interrogation” he said with a simple shrug. Victor laughed, delighted.

“Can I try the mask on?”

 

“Not on your life”

Victor pouted and sat beside his captive. 

“Y’know, you said I could choose how to thank you if I figured out your identity”

Vic nodded. Victor’s hands splayed over his stomach.

“Hands, Victor” the hands were removed and Vic allowed himself some small laughter.

“No, _my_ hands. I’m not opposed, though slightly surprised you decided on this method of repayment. However, I don’t want dead arms by the time this is over so” he nodded up at his restraints. “Hands, please, if you would”

Victor eyed him but did as he requested. 

“You have scars on your back. Belt scars” Vic stared into the dark eyes and shrugged.

“I was a very angry child. Often punished for rage I didn’t understand at a situation I couldn’t wrap my head around. It’s not a big deal” Victor shrugged. 

“It’s not, But a handsome guy like you, having scars other than from your many fights” he takes a moment to take in the shirtless body and smirk, and Vic lets him. “Well, I mean, people wonder”

Vic laughed slightly. “Well, if I didn’t know you I’d say you were wondering exactly what you could get away with” Victor gave him a big innocent smile and Vic rolled his eyes good naturedly. “Alright, are you going to actually- _fuck_ don’t crush me!” he shouted as Victor hopped on top of him. Victor grinned and put his hands on Vic’s shoulders. 

“Relax handsome. If I was gonna kill you I’d have done it when I knocked you out. Crushed your head under my boot” Vic’s gotten so many death threats the image didn’t even phase him. 

“Ground rules, Victor” Vic says, his hands on the covered chest. “No violence. I’m letting you have your way, but I’m not allowing whipping spanking or anything else. You try it and I _will_ leave. That isn’t to say you can’t be rough in some areas, but for the love of life, no violence. Second, you need to be very quiet about who I am, and what we’ve done”

Victor’s face was passively curious. “You uncomfortable with people knowing you did it with a guy?”

“Eh, not really. But a masked vigilante and a hired gun together? I have a hard enough time convincing people I’m not a villain as it is”

“Fair enough. I won’t tell people and you can keep your persona of helping little old ladies cross the street and helping kittens out of trees” Victor was teasing, stroking Vic’s chest with a thumb. Vic huffed laughter.

“You really think I bother with little old ladies and kittens? I’m not exactly a _nice_ guy, Victor”

“You saved me”

“Yes, well, I’m not exactly keen on letting Shiva kill anyone she pleases, even in places outside of my protection” that wasn’t what Victor wanted to hear and he grunted and moved Vic so he was laying with his head comfortably on the pillows. Vic was practically a rag doll. He wasn’t letting Victor Zsasz have any cause to break the rules and start cutting into him, as he was in the habit of doing so with other bedmates. 

“What made you decide to thank me like this?” he asked, getting comfortable as gloves were stripped from the hitman’s hands and tossed over the side of the bed. 

“You seem unreasonably tense”

 _that_ surprised Vic and he stared at Victor. Victor grinned cheekily at him. Vic sighed and brought a hand up to rub at his face. “You want sex...because I’m tense” the eager nod and Vic sighed again. “Well, I suppose there’s worse reasons”

After that it moved very quickly. Victor taking charge and Vic just letting it happen. He wasn’t exactly afraid of Victor, had never given the other man a reason to be violent with him. But this guy was often described as “unhinged”, was unpredictable and despite Vic being the better fighter, Victor wasn’t shabby at combat. Undercover, Vic had seen the man in action. His confidence and swagger, and alarming success ratio meant he wasn’t someone to be trifled with.

Vic arched into the ministrations and allowed Victor to explore and find his sensitive areas. “Hey” Victor mouths against Vic’s chest and Vic takes in a slightly shaky breath as his hands run down the back of the hitman. “Why no violence? I’ve seen you fight. You don’t run from pain or torture”

Vic casts his eyes to the ceiling and allowed a soft moan to escape him at the ministrations.

“Pain and torture send me into needing prolonged periods of meditation. Or get me into really wanting to fight and return the pain. So. I’d rather not in bed with someone, hm?”

“That’s a stupid reason” Victor grasps Vic’s chin and makes the ginger look at him. “I can take pain. You don’t need to be afraid of hurting me” gone was the puppy eager grin on his face. He was serious. Vic shuddered. Hesitantly, he brought up a hand and wrapped it around Victor’s throat. Victor smiled and pressed his throat into the hand, silently giving Vic the go-ahead to choke him.

Just like that, Vic’s years of training himself to be gentle are gone. He rocks into Victor, giving the silent command to go harder, as his hand tightens until Victor’s chest is heaving. When his hips start stuttering is when Vic eases his grip. He lets go for a moment and is horrified to discover the other man has bruises forming on his neck.

Victor looks at him impassively before offering a shark-like grin. He takes Vic’s hand and once more puts it around his neck. Vic closes his eyes for a moment, thinking of every mantra he’d ever learned for self control. But shit is this just too hard with someone actively trying to get him to just let go and give in to his more violent nature. He squeezes his hand and Victor’s pulse stutters under his palm. He could do it, kill the killer with just a flex of his hand. He knows he’s strong enough to, and it really is the guy’s fault for inviting- _no_. He promised himself he’d never again take a life. 

Instead Vic pulled the man down and kissed him, which got a flinch from the other. Vic offered a smirk, though his eyes were concerned. “I thought this was a thank you. So let _me_ thank _you_ ” Victor gazed at him with unfathomable eyes but shrugged languidly at last and leaned down to initiate another kiss. 

Vic arched as Victor hit the right area in his body and tilted his head, exposing his neck to the dangerous man over and in him. Victor leans down and bites at his artery, hard enough to send a shock and a surprised shout from Vic, but not hard enough to actually kill him. He feels Victor’s smile against his skin and then the languid tongue pressed against his throat. His hands fall to his sides and he breathes in softly as Victor begins abusing his chest with his teeth. Eventually the hit-man sat up and looked down on him.

“You don’t react much. I mean, I know you like it” he gestured at Vic’s very hard member and Vic smirked and tilted his head on the pillow. “But I need more direction. I feel like I’m with a mannequin”

The retort sits on Vic’s tongue but he doesn’t say it. Instead he shrugs. “I have too much self control” it’s fairly apologetic. But the problem is he doesn’t know Victor (besides what stalking and extensive research tell him) well enough to be comfortable, and the “thank you” was sprung on him rather suddenly. Plus, his head still throbs from where Victor hit him to even get him here. Could a ‘would you like to have sex with me’ not have sufficed? Victor rolls his eyes.

“I’m going to break that then” he says calmly and Vic’s pulse speeds up a little. 

“No violence”

Victor gives a wicked grin and cocks a hairless brow. “Oh, there’s plenty other ways to get ya ta enjoy this more”

Vic sighs and sits up, wrapping his arms around Victor’s neck. “I _am_ enjoying myself. But I suppose you could call me a control freak” He didn’t like who he used to be. The loud-mouthed, violent, angry man who only used his partners for his own selfish needs. He kept control over himself to the point of being aloof so he would never hurt anyone who didn’t deserve it, never again. But shit, did Victor make him want to just… _hurt someone_ , in a good way of course. 

Vic arched into the touches, kissing the bruises on Victor’s neck, causing the scarred man to shiver pleasantly before he reached between them and touched Vic. Vic gave a shuddered gasp and tightened his arms around Victor so as to not fall back onto the bed. Before long they’ve both hit their climax, though Vic can tell neither are satisfied. 

As such there is an unspoken agreement this will not be the last time they get intimate. Vic was considering allowing some darker aspects the next time. He craved to let go now, especially around this man. As he pulled on his clothes he looked around.

“Where are we? And how do I get back to the news station? Or do you think it’s late enough I can just go to my side job?”

“We’re at a hide-out of mine I use when I need space. I’ll take you back to wherever you want, but I’m not standing while you use that gas to change colors”

Vic sidled up to the hit-man. “So, you have been watching me”

Victor gave his wide childish grin. “Uh-yup”

Vic shook his head. This was getting interesting.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> while I love smut-a lot, I couldn't really write it like I usually do. Vic is too in control of himself to actually let himself feel more than passing pleasure. Plus, he's not comfortable with Victor, necessarily, and Victor is actively trying to bring out the man Vic knows is still inside himself, but doesn't want to face. Plus the "thank you" aspect kind of ruins it for Vic. he's only receiving affection because the person feels obligated. It's currently a repayal of debt, not actual "I like you"


	3. Handsome in Distress

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This time it's Hugo Strange who has gone and caught Zsasz, with the interest in Question this time. Jim and Oswald get dragged into it and learn entirely too much about Victor and Question's relationship.

Jim glanced at the...faceless man, who was very quick to assure everyone that he was _not_ one of Hugo Strange’s experiments. He claimed it was a mask, but Jim didn’t see any seam to indicate where the mask ended and the face began. Plus, it stayed on when the guy, “Question” was flipping and kicking and generally acting like a judo master. 

Harvey was doing his best to question..well, Question and was predictably being hard to read. His voice was neutral and his body language revealed nothing. Not to mention the fact that his blank expanse of face revealed _nothing_. So Harvey was getting frustrated. 

“You realize vigilante work is illegal?”

“Oh, really? I thought that was more of a guideline” Question drawled, somehow managing a neutral _and_ scathing tone all at once. “Yes, I know vigilante work is illegal. However, my city is far too broken to actually work right without me, as the police there are useless. I’m only here to keep Lady Shiva from getting into pointless fights, the work I do otherwise is just to keep me from being bored” 

He’d mentioned Lady Shiva a few times. It was all they knew about him. He was here to stop her. 

“She a girlfriend? Someone who you got in a fight with so she turned to killing people?”

“As logical as that actually sounds, no. I’ve never had relations with Shiva. She taught me, and then took me to our master, and I learned alongside her. I respect her, but don’t wish to bed her”

Jim found himself nodding. He could respect that, not wanting to get in a relationship with a person like that. Hell, if he’d known what Barbara and Lee would end up as, he’d have never gotten into relationships with them. 

Harvey grit his teeth. “Do you work for Penguin? Or Ivy? Or Victor-either of them? Or hell, since you’re a copy of the Riddler-” a slight laugh. 

“I’ve been working as Question since before he developed that persona. He might as well be a copy of _me_. But then again, there are no such things as original ideas” 

Jim sighed. This was getting nowhere. “Where were you going Question?”

Question tilted his head back.

“That’s certainly the question, isn’t it?”

Harvey advanced like he was going to punch Question in his non-existent face before Jim grabbed him. 

Suddenly gunshots were heard in the precinct and Harvey swore and leapt to his feet as Jim glanced sharply at Question, who hadn’t moved. 

Jim and Harvey went to look outside the interrogation room and both were shocked to find Penguin of all people standing with a shotgun in his hand and a very hard look on his normally smug face. 

Jim stepped forward. “What do you want, Oswald?”

Oswald leaned forward on his umbrella, a smug smile on his face. “Oh, see, you have someone I need. Zsasz has disappeared and I fear the only one who knows where he is, is the vigilante you’re holding. So, where’s Question”

“Nice to see you again, Oswald”

Both Jim and Harvey jumped at the sudden presence beside them.There was Question in all his glory, nonchalantly standing with his arms crossed. “What. The. HELL” Harvey exploded. “You were in handcuffs in a locked room!” Question shrugged, seeming to find this amusing.

“I’m a magic ghost, boo” Harvey didn’t look like he was sure if he should believe that or not. 

Jim grabbed Question and hauled him over to Oswald. “Where did you hide Zsasz?” Jim asked Question, and Question sighed. 

“Nowhere. I was looking for him when you found me. Someone has seemed to taken an interest in “the smart faceless one” as he put it. I was on a treasure hunt, the prize being Zsasz” Oswald was gaping at him, angry enough he couldn’t speak. Jim shook Question slightly.

“You’d better not be lying”

“Oh honestly. Would I lie to the golden boy of gotham?” his voice is humerous, teasing, and Jim clenches his teeth. 

“Okay, I’m done” Sighs Question and he quickly moves, slamming his free hand into Jim’s elbow and twisting his wrist, which causes the arm to give way. Question shakes his now freed arm and looking up at Oswald. “I think I know where he is. I was headed there when the fine force grabbed me and took me in. I admit, fighting off a gang probably wasn’t the best move in the first place”

Penguin eyes him curiously, a devious glint in his blue eyes. “You fought off a gang by yourself?”

“Not the first time, not the last. It just surprises me that Gotham has markedly less than I’m used to, considering people call it a cesspool of crime” Jim tilts his head. This is news for later use. 

Penguin pulls himself together and beckons. “I need you to help me find Victor. Jim, you too. I don’t trust Question any farther than I can throw him” a soft laugh.

“Victor trusts me far, far more than that” his voice is self-satisfied, like a cat with a canary in it’s mouth. There’s more to what he’s saying but Jim didn’t want to dwell on the exact relationship of Victor and Question.

With that Penguin spins on his good foot and leads them out of the precinct. 

 

~*~

Two hours and fifteen unconscious or dead (depending on who was fighting at the moment) henchmen later, The three end up at a warehouse about two hours from Arkham. Hugo strange is waiting for them, with a tightly bound (with chains no less. It made Jim wonder just how much Victor tried to escape on his own) Victor Zsasz, who brightened immediately when he saw who was coming forward.

“Hi Q” he chirped and waved as much as his arms tied to the chair’s arms would allow. Question waved back.

“Hey Victor. Looks like you put up a fight” he said, equally brightly. Penguin and Jim looked at each other, confused. Victor and Question seemed...chummy, to say the least.

Victor nodded over at Hugo. “He said he was gonna experiment on you, find out how the faceless thing works”

“Oh, well. Anti-zit creams do _not_ mess around these days” Question says to Hugo, who looks taken aback. Question and Victor laugh. Hugo Strange glares at them and snaps his fingers.

Several patients from the asylum come shambling around them and Question sighs. “Hugo Strange, my fight is with you, not the mentally disturbed patients you torture” Hugo smiles smugly. 

“I want to see your skills, Mr. Question. If not, well, there’s not telling what will happen to your friend here” the wide dark eyes of Victor’s glance between them and he snorts.

“You gonna let him talk to ya like that Q? He’s treating you like some sidekick of the GCPD” Question snorts. 

“Victor, we’ll talk about your obvious plays to get me to kill. For now, I’m getting you out of those chains” He looked at Oswald and Jim. “Do keep the good doctor and the patients busy. But _do not_ kill. Oswald, I’m looking at you”

“I-I honestly couldn’t tell” Oswald said half-apologetically half teasingly and Question snorted. With that he began walking slowly and purposefully towards Victor, who was waiting patiently and expectantly. 

“Hugo” Question called. “What exactly did you have in mind for Victor if I didn’t show up?”

“Oh, I would have killed him, and then brought him back, more deadly than ever” Victor looks up at him, suddenly interested. 

“Exactly how deadly? Can we still do that?”

“Victor! No!” Penguin shouted and Victor sighed dramatically.

“This is exactly why I call you “Murder Puppy” you know” Question told Victor as he maneuvered around the patients and towards Victor and Hugo. Victor grinned at him.

“But you love me”

Oswald choked and Jim blinked in surprise. That was _not_ a joking tone. 

“Question what do you do with my assassin?” Penguin finally got out.

“Oh, you know, choking mostly. Sometimes more if I don’t accidentally make him pass out” he said absently as he spun a patient into another patient and continued walking forward towards Hugo, who looked like he was seriously regretting his decisions. Eventually Question got to him and grabbed him by the front of his shirt, one hand keeping him in place and one hand feeling around his torso and hips, looking for something. Eventually he found the keys to Victor’s chains and threw Hugo into the path of one of his former patients before kneeling beside Victor and undoing the chains. 

“Guess I’ll have to “thank” you again, huh?” Victor asked brightly, with only a trace of annoyance. Question snorted.

“If you want. We can go farther if you want”

“No more “control freak” issues?”

“You can hit me as much as you want, as long as it’s not _too_ hard, and I can still choke you” the voice isn’t embarrassed or shy in the least; it’s still aloof, detached, uncaring of the fact that other people are listening in on his conversation about his private life with Zsasz. 

“Oh, I wanna do more than hit”

“No cutting”

“Actually, I wasn’t thinking that” he leaned in and whispered something in Question’s ear with a devious glint in his eye. 

“...we’ll talk about that later” 

Jim and Penguin decided at that point it was probably a good time to leave the two...lovers? Alone and go after Hugo Strange, who had made a run for it. 

Jim glanced at Penguin, who looked slightly disturbed. 

“...How does a faceless man and a bloodthirsty assassin hit it off anyway?”

“...that is a good question”


	4. It's No Better to Be Safe Than Sorry

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Vic and Victor get visited by Jim, and Victor tries to initiate something, which results in things not going the way he wanted.
> 
> Who the hell gave an uptight man the ability to fling people over his shoulder like ragdolls, anyway?

_”So needless to say_   
_I'm odds and ends_   
_But I'll be stumbling away_   
_Slowly learning that life is okay_   
_Say after me_   
_It's no better to be safe than sorry”_

Vic sat at the window of his apartment, softly singing, and Victor _loved_ it. He made the pop song sad, introspective, and while Victor didn’t normally enjoy songs that were slower or sad, he liked Vic’s voice. It held weight, truth. It held the inevitability of their relationship in that song, those words. Victor sauntered closer to the currently unmasked vigilante.

“Why do you put up with me?”

Vic paused in his singing and looked over at Victor. “It’s not the Alopecia Areata” he smirks and Victor smirked back. However when Vic noticed that Victor was still waiting for an answer he sighs. “I am honestly not sure. You are everything I fight against” Victor smirks and gives a self-preening little shrug. “More like a dark version of what I could be, more so than Riddler at the very least”

Victor pushes Vic against the window and smirks down at him. “I’m also funnier” 

“Oh please. I have my moments” Victor thinks about this and gives a little nod, agreeing somewhat. 

“I also have more fun” 

Vic stands up and moves against the hand pinning him to the window. “Oh, I don’t know, making a game of _not_ killing is actually rather fun in and of itself as well” He tilts his head, the red hair moving around his bare shoulders. And hell, Victor can barely look away from that red hair, often black but not tonight. The guy is taller than he is. He might be 5”11 but Vic Sage is 6”3. He has to tilt his head slightly to look at him and it’s nice, actually. To _not_ be the most intimidating thing in the room (even if he’d rather die by Question’s non-killing hand than admit it) for once. 

Suddenly there’s a rapping on the door and Vic pushes Victor away more firmly, causing the bald man to stumble, a hand steadying him from tripping over his own feet before Vic presses up against him more than he should, before moving around him. Hell, the red head would be the death of him, Victor just knows it. 

“Who is it?” Calls Vic and Vic looks over his shoulder at Victor at the answer, mouthing ‘hide’ as he walked towards the door.

“It’s Jim Gordon, Sage, open up”

Victor moved to stand beside Vic, staring at the door and fingering his guns as he glanced at the vigilante. 

“Victor, leave”

“I have an idea”

They both spoke in voices barely above a whisper. Vic stared at Victor for a moment but shrugged and made an “on with it” motion. Victor grinned and grabbed his gun and Vic, forcing the taller man into a kneeling position and caressing his temple with the muzzle of his gun.

“Sage is indisposed at the moment, can you come back later, like when he’s y’know, maybe _dead_?” a soft scoff and Victor grins at his lover kneeling on the floor. They both know Vic wouldn’t let Victor just kill him, unless there was no other choice. The had had talks about it.

Gordon curses through the door and slams it open, the wood splintering. Jim is there, all business, pointing a gun at Victor’s head. “Let the reporter go or so help me-” Victor gave him a charming smile, one of his gloved hands wrapping in Vic’s long hair and pulling his head back. A soft catch in Vic’s throat and Victor grins. He’s not sure if Vic is just acting or if he’s instead turned on by the possessive act. 

“Relax. Penguin just doesn’t want him smearing his name anymore. I’m here to get the message across”

“He left a head in my sink” Vic adds and Victor grins happily at a slightly disturbed Jim Gordon. While he _did_ leave a head in his sink, more because it was frozen courtesy of Victor Fries and he needed it to thaw before he showed Penguin, that’s neither here nor there. But he can work with it being “more than that”

“I hadda show him what crossing Penguin would do”

“Jesus Christ”

“Don’t use the Lord’s name in vain” it sounds like an automatic response. It just comes out of Vic so naturally. Both Jim and Victor stare at him. Victor looks up at Jim. 

“You heard him”

He doesn’t really know how to _respond_ to Vic’s accidental comment. He didn’t even realize Vic had religious beliefs. Victor is Jewish, and while not exactly practicing, he does hold some of the beliefs of his Bubbie. One of which is; Jesus was a prophet, not the foretold savior. But whatever. He can let the religion differences pass. Vic’s too much fun to ignore. 

Jim rolls his eyes. “Hands off the reporter Zsasz. He’s just reporting on anonymous tips. Why don’t you threaten his sources” Victor has to restrain himself from delighted laughter. Because Vic _is_ his anonymous sources. The fact that Jim Gordon hasn’t figured out the connection-or maybe he has and that’s why he’s here?

“Uh-uh, I make the demands, ask the questions” Victor drawled. “First off, why are you looking for Sage, huh? Did he smear the “wonderful” GCPD?” he looked down at Vic. “ _Did_ you insult them?” 

Breathless laughter. Okay, they were going to have to play with hair-pulling; Vic was half undone and halfway to blowing his own cover. 

“As far as I remember, no, I didn’t. Let’s see, I mentioned the possibility of super-human figures all across the world. I mean, there is evidence. Strange goings on in Smallville in America, talk of a man who sentenced a child to hell in Newcastle England, a strange woman who flies and uses a lasso and repels bullets to protect people around the world. Rumors of a boy who can mind-control fish. The list goes on. Is that what you’re looking for, Jim? To see if these people are real?”

Jim closed his eyes, took a breath and opened them again. “You forgot about the faceless man and the “batman” figure running around here, too” 

“But neither of them have powers”

“How do you know that?”

“Please. Batman’s attacks on the criminal underworld are such that a man or child with the right training could do it. Just because he’s intimidating doesn’t mean he isn’t just using judo-and why do you think Question has powers?” he seems genuinely amused and Victor is too, to be honest.

“I-you know what, never mind. Victor, I expect him to be at work tomorrow, in one piece. Sage, enough of the wild theories, it’s making people uneasy”

“Why, because people like Victor Fries and Ivy are running around? That these people I talk about might turn on the world like the super humans in Gotham did on the city?” Vic asks sharply and Jim gives him a glare.

“Yes”

With that he turned on his heel and stalked away from where the hit-man was “threatening” the reporter. 

Vic leant his head against Victor and sighed. “I’m going to have to get a new door” The gun presses more urgently against his temple and the hand in his hair tightens, leaving him with a warmth in his stomach not entirely unpleasant. 

“Victor-”

The gun shoved his head to one side and Vic gritted his teeth.

“You’ve been pretty bossy through this”

“...Alright, but can we move to somewhere less open? My door is _broken_. Anyone can walk in and look”

Victor gave an interested look at the door, then at the kneeling man. He moved to the door, keeping Vic’s hair in his hand and forcing the man to shuffle with him to avoid being dragged by his hair. They stopped at the threshold. Vic was shaking. That was a first.

“No, not-no”

Victor grinned down at the usually aloof man. Seriously, was that _fear_ in Vic’s voice? Victor had never heard actual fear from Vic before. Vic leaned his head up to look into the passive face of the intensely interested Victor. 

“We could go to jail”

“Right, because in a city overrun with super powered villains and mob bosses, the GCPD will bother with two people fucking in public” 

Vic narrowed his eyes at Victor but it did no good. He closed his eyes and one by one his muscles relaxed. Victor scowled and slammed a knee into his back. A sharp gasp and Vic’s eyes flew open. Victor beamed down at him. 

“Don’t go into meditation” he chided, wagging a finger and Vic sighed, starting to shake again. 

“What exactly do you have in mind?”

Victor gave a big wolfish grin. “Get out on the landing, hands and knees”

Have mercy, Vic was _blushing_. He’d never seen that before. There were moments when he thought Vic was blushing, but they had always been covered by make-up for his stint on live television, or covered by the featureless mask, which did not convey the blush underneath. He let go of the hair and Vic slumped to his hands and knees. 

Vic closed his eyes again however it didn’t look like he was going into a meditation or running through a tactic to relax himself. It looked like he was just gathering the courage to actually go through with it, or challenge Victor’s demand. 

“Why do I put up with you?”

Victor rolled his eyes as Vic asked what he had before Jim had shown up and gotten this started.

“I’m a handsome badass. Landing, Vic”

Vic hesitantly crawled to the landing and pulled his fingers into his palms, his breathing ragged. Victor isn’t sure if it’s from arousal, fear, or both. It’s surprising that a self proclaimed “control freak” in the bedroom is actually going along with this, but perhaps Victor is getting to him, breaking him down slowly into the amoral killer Victor _knows_ he is. Victor certainly hopes it’s true. 

However, when he reached out to grab Vic again, Vic grabbed his hand and tossed him into the railing of the building’s stairs. 

“Nerves”

“Okay, I’ll invest in...can you break out of rope or handcuffs?” Vic shakes his head.

“I can’t do this, I’m sorry”

“You need to relax”

“Relax. Relax here, where anyone could see me, having relations with-sorry. Just. I don’t trust. _Anyone_. At least in this city” He got up and walked over to Victor, offering a hand to the hitman, looking genuinely concerned. Victor bats his hand away and gets up slowly on his own, his back and head throbbing where they connected with the railing. He’s a little hurt at the (intended or unintended, he doesn’t care at this point) insult. 

“I want to record you”

Vic’s head gets very, very pale and his eyes widen. It’s probably the most emotion Victor has ever seen from him and he gives a friendly grin and holds up placating hands.

“Relax. I want to record you _singing_. I know a guy who’d really appreciate it. Do ya mind?”

Vic blinks and then nods. 

“Yea, I can do that”

Victor smiles. Penguin was gonna get a _kick_ out of the aloof and almost emotionless Vic Sage singing. Preferably that version of “Take On Me” he’d been singing earlier. He still couldn’t entirely forgive Penguin for past abuse. Having him break down from a song that was sure to remind him of Riddler was perfect. And, perhaps getting the reporter persona of the enigmatic faceless man under the scrutiny of Penguin was going to be enough to crack him. Vic hoped so. He wanted to see this “Violent man” Vic had admitted to keep locked up inside of himself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SO. I am realizing through research and just observations, but Vic in the comics is VERY uptight with most people. He can relax-a little-but he doesn't trust. I'm assuming that life in an abusive orphanage will do that. So, pairing him with Victor Zsasz-who also doesn't trust but is SO MUCH less uptight is a challenge. Also, in my mind I see Vic as being somewhat afraid of himself, and this is shown a little in the comics. Like an alcoholic, he has an addiction. he craves stimulation, challenge. For him, philosophy and testing his skills does quench that thirst, but not entirely. In the comics he often finds himself fantasizing about killing. It legitimately scares him. And when he actually does kill, he finds to his horror he isn't satisfied and wants to again and again and again. Zsasz here wants to see that. He wants to see Vic kill. So Vic is tense, because that isn't a secret. However, he is attracted to danger. It's canon that they both like dangerous situations. Hence stated violence with each other mentioned in past chapters. I'm having fun trying to get them to open up around each other but holy hell, them being truly intimate is another challenge in and of itself.


End file.
